Types of physical activities, Physical activity is any move that increases your heart rate and breathing. Being physically active enhances your health and well-being. It has advantages for all ages, including decreasing your risk for chronic diseases, improving your sleep, boosting your energy, and developing self-confidence and mental health. Adding more physical activity to your lifestyle provides more health benefits.
Some examples of physical activity are:
- Going for a walk, bike, or run (join our indoor walking program).
- Doing household chores.
- Taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Playing at the park.
Physical activity is essential throughout your life, but what about physical education? Just as children learn language skills through reading and writing, they also need to know movement skills through running, kicking, throwing, catching and jumping.
When children learn these movement skills, they improve their physical literacy and become more confident and comfortable with doing these movements. When this happens, children want to play and be active for a lifetime.
Types of Physical Activities Recommendations by Age:
- 0 to 4 years
- 180 minutes daily, spread throughout the day
- 5 to 17 years
- 60 minutes each day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity
- 18 years and older
- 150 minutes each week of medium- to vigorous-intensity physical activity, in bouts of 10 minutes or more.
There are different levels, or intensities, of physical activity based on how hard your body has to work.
Moderate Intensity
You can usually tell that you are doing a moderate-intensity physical activity if you can talk but not sing a song while doing an activity.
Examples Include:
- Bike riding.
- Brisk walking,
- Playground activities, and
Vigorous-Intensity
You can usually tell that you are doing a vigorous-intensity physical activity if you are not able to speak more than a few words without pausing for a breath.
Examples Include:
- Running, and
- Swimming.
Strength and Balance
For ages 5 to 18, it is necessary to add activities that strengthen muscle and bone at least three times per week. For adults 18 years and older, it is helpful to combine strength and bone-strengthening activities using larger muscle groups at least twice per week. For adults 65 years and older, it’s necessary to perform exercises to improve balance and stop falls. Also find out some best exercise tips for triceps.
Examples Include:
- Lifting weights,
- Working with resistance bands,
- Tai Chi,
- Yoga, and
- Push-ups or modified push-ups.
Physical Activities and Immunity
Physical activities reduce your risk of growing heart disease, and It keeps your bones healthy and strong.
We do not know specifically if or how exercise boosts your immunity to some illnesses. There are many theories. Some of these theories are:
- Physical activity will help you to flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This may decrease your risk of catching a cold, flu, or other illness.
- Physical activity also increases antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the immune system cells that combat disease. These antibodies or WBCs flow faster, so they could catch illnesses quicker than they might have before.
- The increase in body temperature during and after physical activity may prevent bacteria from spreading. This temperature increase may help the body combat infection better.
- Physical activity reduces the release of stress hormones. Some stress increases the risk of illness. Lower stress hormones may shield against disease.
- Physical activity is great for you, but you should not exaggerate it—people who previously Physical activity should not exercise more just to improve their immunity.
Researches have proved that people who follow a slightly energetic lifestyle advantage from starting (and sticking to) an exercise program. A balanced program can consist of:
- Bicycling with your kids some times a week
- Exercising regular 20 to 30-minute walks
- Going to the gym at least three times a week.
- Playing golf regularly.
Physical activities make you feel healthier and more energetic. It will help you to feel good about yourself. So go forward, go to the gym or go for that walk. You will feel good and healthier for it.
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If you want to know, What type of walker are you?
